Sightless Reality
by Unconscious
Summary: My first fic taking place 12 years after game's events. After a Galbadian leader is assassinated, war breaks out between Galbadia and Esthar. Squall finds himself stuck in the middle trying to discover the true meaning of the war and his own inner secrets
1. Early Beginnings

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Sightless Reality

The bright lights.

The women and children.

The buildings of the city and the stars in the sky.

Vinzer Deling stood at the foot of his Presidential Residence in downtown Deling City. The corrupt fascist leader beheld his own city as it twinkled in the night sky.

__

"These people... In their little houses with their little lives. Living endlessly under me...." he thought.

It had been twelve years after the final defeat of Sorceress Ultimecia. The after-effects of time compression still lingered here and there. Often times, people that were reported missing suddenly reappreared and remembered nothing of their disappearance. Other times their mangled lifeless corpses appeared in the middle of the sky and hung there until blasting apart in a flash of light. 

__

"Bah, look at your little dog. Nothing but a dog like you are to me." Vinzer thought as he looked at a passer-by. The thoughts of what could've happened had Ultimecia succeeded sometimes haunted Vinzer, but other times he brushed it off as a slight setback.

In the beginning, there was but one supreme being. His name was Hyne. He knew all, created all, and could destroy all. But when this demented master of the universe was finally defeated after hundreds of millenia of fighting, he managed to give part of himself to a small group of his female followers. These women went on to become sorceresses, powerful necromancers who could control various aspects of magic. 

But when one of these sorceressses died, she had to pass her powers onto another in order to die, or live an boundless state of limbo between life and death. So began the long chain of sorceresses that has lasted throughout the existent world as we know it today. Soon, the capital of the world, Esthar began to expose hundreds of sorceresses across the world, who never revealed themselves because of the consequences that could fall upon them. Esthar troops scanned the globe, and murdered all the sorceresses they found. Eventually, after years of elimination, fears of sorceress manifestion subsided. All was calm until one sorceress was found to have survived.

Her name was Adel. And after managing to escape the murderous hands of the Estharian troops, she watched her fellow witches murdered by the troops. She could do nothing, for she would be murdered herself. But after the wave of death subsided, she arose again. Now with an evil twisted mind directed towards destroying all who oppose her and her kind. She soon dominated Esthar, and then Galbadia, and then the rest of the world. Soon she was the most powerful being on the planet. No one dared to protest, until one man led a seemingly infantile band of men to finally defeat the tyrant. His name was Laguna Loire, a simple ex-Galbadian soldier imprisoned in Esthar during Adel's reign. This struggle became known as The Sorceress War, and was one of the darkest eras in history. But because she was immortal, the army sealed her in a capsule of air and sent her into space in a void between the gravitational pull of the planet and the moon, where her powers were useless.

So became the ritual of sorceresses being found, they would be found, imprisoned, and taken to the Sorceress Memorial on the continent of Esthar, where they too were sealed into small cells and shut off from the rest of the world. In the building, thousands of sorceresses were locked in, unable to communicate from the vacuum seal, unable to think because of the constant pressure of air. Here they stayed until they die a lonely death, upon which they are rocketed off into space at the Lunar Gate in Esthar. 

__

"Look at you" Deling thought. _"You think I protect you? Ha! You live your life as a hair on my tongue. A nuisance." _Vinzer relished in the fact people looked up to him. He had defeated the world. What else kind of a leader would they want?

The party who had defeated Ultimecia were rewarded in their normal sense. They were greeted like heroes. They were compensated greatly. But their whereabout are still disputed to this day.

Squall Leonheart, the leader of the group, was reported to have returned into active SeeD duty, taking oddjobs haphazardly. There, he was believed to have been followed with his close friend, Rinoa Heartilly. The two were believed to have had an affectionate relationship during their quest to vanquish Sorceress Ultimecia.

Irvine Kinneas had returned back to his hometown, although various sources failed to discover where his hometown actually was. 

Quistis Trepé had taken up the job as Headmaster of Balamb Garden, and currently resides inside the floating military school. She has been the most open of the party's locales and is often found being interviewed by newspeople.

Zell Dincht, had continued to serve in Balamb Garden, and for the past four years had been in Trabia restoring their Garden. 

Selphie Tilmitt's whereabouts are unknown. Many people believe that Selphie may very well have been absorbed into time shortly after the engagement with Ultimecia, while time was still coming out of compression, which can explain her sudden disappearance after the party returned home. 

Vinzer continued to gawk into his beautiful city that he believed he created himself. The cobblestone streets and the vast field of brick-laden buildings. He saw people walking up and down the streets, gaping at the sight of Vinzer Deling simply standing on his front porch. 

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"I could squish any of these people in my fingers. Yes, that's it, look at me with your unknowing eyes. Heh heh, if it weren't for me, you'd be living out there, outside the city. My city."

Soon after Ultimecia's downfall, Vinzer had quickly put a stranglehold with his military across the continent of Galbadia. In the confusion of time compression, he dominated half of the world. Timber, Winhill, Dollet, and Fisherman's Horizon (an important port town); all cities dominated under Vinzer's military force. Despite the fact of one-third of the world being under Vinzer's subjugation and little or no opposition, he still wanted more. After the Lunar Cry in Esthar, Vinzer thought he could easily invade Esthar and smoothly rule over it. But after repeated attempts on the continent of Esthar, Galbadian troops soon withdrew from the continent and returned home to Galbadia a defeated nation. In spite of the fact Vinzer's army had been defeated, Vinzer still hadn't lost his manner. He raised taxes in fury and canceled various sporting events in favor of a national tribute to himself.

But soon, opposition arose. Small rebel bands across the world soon allied together and formed a misfit army of a few thousand. Despite it's small numbers, the army soon declared war on Galbadia, and soon after Esthar joined also. Soon, Vinzer was forced to liberate Fisherman's Horizon, but when demands were heard to emancipate other towns, Deling launched a huge counter-offensive. He launched wave after wave of bombings onto Esthar City and other cities across the world. 

When word reached Esthar City officials that Vinzer intended to bomb the Sorceress Memorial thus releasing all the sorceresses and wreak havoc upon theworld, Esthar soon attacked Galbadia in full force. Timber and Winhill were both utterly demolished by Esthar bombings, and the ground troops soon killed hundreds of city residents. When the forces were found to be headed toward Deling City, Vinzer quickly filed a surrender. Knowing of Galbadia's military power, Esthar made the conditions for the surrender particular. In the treaty, Vinzer Deling and the people of Galbadia agreed to pay 4.7 trillion Gil and release Fisherman's Horizon from Galbadian rule. This war was later known as the Galbadian War, and this eight-year war caused the most worldly damage.

Vinzer soon walked back into his mansion and sat down on one of his couches to relax. His smooth, relaxing instrumental music played softly in the background, and the clip-clop of horses treaded outside.

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"Those Estharians. Think they're so great. I would've beaten them if I hadn't lost…"

Vinzer stood up and went into his game room. His dark brown hair waved in the background and his sruffy, unshaven face was constantly being rubbed by his large hand. Suddenly, Vinzer felt a sharp sting in his side. 

__

"Just like getting shot…" he thought.

Vinzer looked down and saw that he _was_ shot. Abruptly another bullet hole appeared through his chest. Blood streamed out from the wound and spilled onto the expensive carpet. Deling turned around and could see no shooter. Without warning, a small flash of light suddenly appeared from the top of a building. The invisible bullet shot down through the sky and hit Vinzer in his neck. Blood poured out from the wound and covered Vinzer's body. The weakened man dropped to his knees, knowing his own fate. He looked back to where he saw the previous flash of light and saw four more go off. Deling never made a sound as the bullets ripped through his body; he simply dropped to the ground and died a wretched waste of a leader.

* * *

The Second Sorceress War was what the battle involving Sorceress Ultimecia came to be known as. The evil sorceress from the future possesed Edea, a simple orphanage caretaker who had lived in southern Centra. But after Ultimecia used her machine to transport her consciousness to the past into Edea, she soon became heralded as the "Bringer of World Peace." Various festivities were thrown in her honor, all unknowing of her true meaning.

Soon, people began to suspect things. And soon Ultimecia's true plans were unveiled. A group of young people who banded together to defeat Ultimecia forever uncovered that she wanted to use magic to achieve time compression. In time compression, all events, time, space, and existence is condensed together. By doing this, Ultimecia would be able to obtain the powers from all the sorceresses who ever existed and become the most powerful being in the universe, and also absorb everything in the universe. She would then become the "Ruler of Non-Existance" as she called it.

Her insane plans were soon derailed when the group of young people allowed time to be compressed, but only for a moment. They would quickly compress time and enter Ultimecia's time period where one-third of the world's population had been murdered ruthlessly under her hand. The party defeated Ultimecia once and for all and were able to return back to their own time.

* * *

Squall woke up early that morning. The sweet morning smell of the ocean drifted it's way into his nose. Squall sat up and quickly got dressed in his usual clothing; a jacket and jeans. He walked outside of his room and entered the main lobby of Balamb Garden.

Balamb Garden had once been the premier military training base in the world, along with Trabia Garden and Galbadia Garden. Ultimecia-possesed-Edea destroyed Trabia Garden and Galbadia Garden was now used for a floating military fortress, Balamb Garden was now the remainging SeeD training unit.

SeeDs are high-ranking military soldiers who specialize as mercernaries who were often assigned to help battles waged around the world. But soon, SeeD became a group of freedom-fighters who fought against the sorceress of each era. Squall was one of them.

He walked up the stairs in the lobby and entered the elevator. One of the junior classmen stood inside also. Squall reached out and pushed the third floor button.

"Wow, are you a SeeD?" the boy asked.

"Yes, why?" Squall replied.

"I wanna be a SeeD! They're so cool!"

"It's very hard to become a SeeD, it takes a lot of hard work"

"I could do it!"

Jus then the elevator reached the second floor. The little boy got of the elevator and scampered away into his classroom. Shortly after, the elevator reached the third floor and Squall stepped out. He was on the flight deck, as they called it. From here, the Garden's trajectory and piloting was centered. He got onto a mini-elevator and reached the main deck. There, Nia was at the control of the ship.

"Hey, Commander Squall. Is there somewhere you want to go?"

"Not really, just came up to look at the scenery."

Outside, Squall could tell they were over the ocean. The sun twinkled off the water's ripples and the moon shine through the day-time sky. 

"Pretty day, isn't it Squall?"

"Yeah, hard to believe there's fighting going on somewhere in the world."

Just then, Headmaster Quistis entered the main deck. Her bright purple outfit and eyeglasses sparkled in the sunlight. 

"Squall! Get down here quick! Something's happened!"

Squall ran back to the mini-eleavator and brought himself back down to the main floor of the room. He walked up to Quistis and saw she was on the verge of crying.

"Vinzer Deling was assassinated last night. It's all over the news." She said.

"Good, that heartless bastard deserves it." Squall replied.

"Don't you know what this means!? Galbadia is already preparing thousands of troops for a counter-attack against Esthar! Even though Esthar denies responsibility, Galbadia's gonna bomb the hell out of them!"

"Oh no…" Squall uttered.


	2. Irvine's New Life

Irvine was a graduate from Galbadia Garden. He had said to news people he planned to return to his hometown, while actually moving to Esthar, where he would be lost among the millions of people living there. While many people never seemed to notice his own personal beliefs, he always tried hard to impress other people with his lady's man persona. He hadn't moved around since their battle with Ultimecia. Shortly after her defeat, he moved back to where he thought was most suitable for his needs, Esthar City. The hi-tech city was the perfect abode for a man like him. Everything was automatic, from getting food to crossing a street. The huge city that unknown to the rest of the world for seventeen years proved to be as luxorious as he always imagined. With constant patrol from thousands of Estharian troops throughout the city, he took pleasure from the ease of life. The only hard times proved to be in the beginning.

Just before the party's final invasion of Ultimecia's future era, the Lunar Cry had fallen upon the continent of Esthar. On the moon there lived millions upon millions of monsters who waited for every century, when they would all congregate into one colossal mass and fall down from the moon onto the planet. This had happened around a hundred and twenty years ago which destroyed part of the continent of Centra. This cataclysm was triggered by an ancient relic known as the Lunatic Pandora, which for thousands of years perpetuated beneath the continent of Centra. But about forty years ago, when news of the Pandora's whereabouts were uncovered, Galbadia quickly excavated it for their own military use. Nevertheless, when the Pandora came under it's own control twelve years ago, it moved to Tear's Point in Esthar. This archaic temple which sat in the middle of the Abadan Plains for centuries, finally revealed it's true purpose. The Lunatic Pandora moved from it's location in the Lunatic Pandora Laboratory across Esthar City and the Great Esthar Plains, and lingered over Tear's Point. It then sent a metaphysical beam to the moon which somehow stimulated the Lunar Cry to begin. 

Millions of monsters from the sky like a blanket of abhorrence. Hundreds of people were killed, until bombing raids from Galbadia during the Galbadian War soon eliminated most of them. The ones that remained were exterminated by the Estharian Army. But shortly after this, the continued bombardings by Galbadia destroyed most of Esthar City and the continent's ancient sites. The Lunar Gate was shut down for months, the Sorceress Memorial was overflooded with dead corpses. The Lunatic Pandora, which had been suspended over Tear's Point since the Lunar Cry, was bombed relentlessly and it fell back down and created a massive shockwave of fire. 

But once the Galbadian War was over, peace seemed to return to Esthar City and Irvine. He managed to marry three times, but all resulted in divorces. He now resided in a aprtment complex in Sector 678 of Esthar City. He worked as a robotic technician, but in his spare time practiced his favorite sport of all, practicing with his guns. In fact, he became so well known across Esthar City of his benevolent skill, that he appeared in various movies across the globe. He truly was living a enjoyable life.

It was another day for Irvine. He woke up that morning, so he could catch the sunrise over the Presidential Palace. Shortly after he got dressed and everything and prepared himself to go to his job, he heard his in-house computer state that there was a visitor at his door. Surprised someone would be at his apartment so early, he opened the door with curiosity. When he opened the door, the found twenty Estharian soldiers standing at his front door with weapons pointed at him.

"Irvine Kinneas! You are to be arrested for the murder of Vinzer Deling!"

The soldiers quickly reprimanded him and took him away to the Esthar Prison. There, he was taken into a small, cold, damp prison cell until being taken away for questioning.

"Did you kill Vinzer Deling?" the officer asked.

"No! How many times will I have to tell you?" Irvine replied.

"Well, it seems like you did, if you ask me." The officer pulled out a manila envelope and took out various papers. 

"This says here you were in the city of Timber three days ago. And you returned back to Esthar this morning…" the officer smirked.

"What!? I haven't been in Galbadia for nine years!"

"Lying to the police is a criminal offense, you know."

"I'm telling you the truth!"

"Mr. Irvine, I'm afraid the people of Esthar and the world have found you guilty of murder and condemn you of execution." 

Squall quickly dispatched a group of SeeDs to investigate Galbadia's militaristic movements, while he examined various reports regarding the assassination of Vinzer Deling. While reading through them, he found various differences in each one he found. The Estharian reports and newspapers stated that Vinzer was shot three times and feigned it as though it was a simplistic death, while the Galbadian newspapers screamed that he was horrifyingly murdered from a cold ruthless madman bent on destroying a symbol of peace for the world.

Squall stood back from the reports in a dumbfounded state. All of a sudden, a junior SeeD entered the room with an excited look on his face.

"Commander Squall! I have news!"

"What is it?"

"Your friend, Irvine Kinneas, has been arrested by Estharian officials for Deling's murder, and he'll be executed this afternoon!" 

"What?"

Squall thought back to the early days of the Second Sorceress War, when his party tried to assassinate Sorceress Edea. But even then, Irvine couldn't muster the courage to shoot someone who planned to destroy the world.

"He couldn't have! What kind of evidence do they have?"

"It says here that he was convicted because of airship tickets to the city Timber, and that he had returned back to Esthar the day of Deling's homicide. 

Squall knew Irvine hadn't left Esthar City for a extensive period of time, and he soon realized what was happening. 

"Esthar is trying to find a guilty person so Galbadia doesn't attack Esthar…"

Squall quickly found Quistis and told her. She soon decided to dispatch Squall and a group of other SeeDs to settle the political mess. She knew Esthar wouldn't simply release Irvine, so the team had to go in and set him free themselves.

Squall immediately found Rinoa, his girlfiriend whom had been with him through their tribulations in the Second Sorceress War.

"Oh my God, Squall. Do you think soething terrible may happen?" she said.

"I don't know. But what I do know is that Irvine's gonna be astro-slush if we don't save him."

He then kissed her warmly and left for the airship.

The miniature airship whisked the party of two to their destination in Trabia Garden. When the ship reached it, Zell Dincht had boarded the ship and joined ther unit. The shuttle then shot through the afternoon sky towards Esthar City. 

Zell was a loud, outspoken man who specialized in martial arts. He was well known across the world as being the best figher there ever was. While his own opinions were more extravagant than what he really felt, most people respected him for his own highly-violent ideals. 

Rinoa was quite the opposite. She was a quiet, mild-mannered woman after her ordeal with Ultimecia. Her once complex and sophisticated opinions were now based with simple, lucid beliefs. Her lover, Squall, was now the main thing in her life, and if she was to lose him, she would depart from living ordinary life.

During their trip to Esthar, Squall quickly reloaded his gunblade. It wasw a fine specimen at best, the _"Revolver" _as the manufacturers called it. A gun blade is a thin sword, with a type of gun built into it. This gun can be fired by pushing a trigger on the blade's handle. It can be held as both a gun, and a sword. The gun actually has two barrels. There are one on each side of the balde, each only extend two inches from the beginning of the handle. Gunblades weren't common by then. Their difficulty to master had deterred most newcomers. But in Squall's opinion, it was the best.

Zell, sitting in the back of the airship, was filled with unbearable excitement. His heart was pounding seemingly three beats a millisecond. He couldn't wait until he got to Esthar and whipped some anti-good guy ass. Zell looked across him and saw that their leader, their courageous, gallant head honcho was asleep. This quieted Zell down for the while, and he settled back down and looked out the window.

__

"Where am I?"

A flash of light. There, seemingly a mile away, yet only a few feet away she stood. In all her evil glory, she stood there defiant to Squall.

__

"Who are you?"

Squall asked a question he knew the answer to. He didn't want to believe it. She raised a thin, slender hand and pointed towards Squall. Her shiny silver hair glimmered in obscurity. Her blood-red robe and dark tattoos over her body shimmered like beacons of evil.

The hand reached towards Squall's face. It seemed to grow bigger. Soon it grasped a hold of his face. He couldn't breathe. He tried to move his hands away, but he was paralyzed. Paralyzed with pusillanimity. 

He then heard it again. The same thing he had heard every night for the past twelve years. The identical sound from oblivion that seemed to pulsate through his body. 

"Squall! Squall wake up! We're here!"


	3. Invasion of Esthar City

Squall opened his eyes and looked around. Zell sat next to him, unbuckling his seat belt with vivid exuberance. A bright grin was spread across his face like a line went across composition paper. 

"Come on, Squall, get up." Zell said.

Squall got up out of his seat and walked out of the ship. He then entered the great city of Esthar. The buildings were lined together for miles. The light blue façade of each building shined out like the sky. And at the very center, stood the Presidential Palace, the great shrine for the leader of the city. 

President Laguna, who was Squall's father, had retired four years ago when someone beat him out in the election. He returned back to Galbadia in Winhill and stayed there despite the fact it was under Deling's ruthless hand. 

Squall walked out on the Esthar highway and got into their rent-a-car. Squall got behind the wheel and brought the party to the Presidential Palace, inside which Irvine was being held. 

Once they reached the colossal building, the group treaded towards the entrance. They were abruptly stopped by two soldiers, both which were assigned to prevent any unauthorized entry. 

"Excuse me, we'll need to see some identification" the one soldier said.

Squall quickly glanced around to see if anyone was around. No one was. He then took out his SeeD card and handed it to the soldier. The trooper took one glance at it and gave it back. 

"Sorry, this isn't the appropiate identification to enter."

"Are you sure?" Squall said.

"I'm afraid so."

"Okay, wait I got another card somewhere…"

The soldiers loosened up a bit as Squall began searching through his pockets. Zell and Rinoa both looked casual. Suddenly Zell attacked the one soldier and punched him in the face so hard, he broke his protective helmet. Squall took out his gunblade and fired it at the other. The bullet hit the soldier's protective gear and knocked the wind out of him. Both soldiers now lay on the ground, defeated. The party dragged their bodies out of view behind part of the building and entered. 

Inside, there was a single pod that they walked into. The pod then zipped through the interior of the building until it reached the Prison Sector. The party got out and walked into the security room. There inside, sat several guardsmen watching security cameras. Rinoa quickly walked up to the main control panel and shut down all of the power. The guards were quickly alerted to their presence and attacked. Rinoa launched her pinwheel, a circular saw that was attached to a smaller launcher on her arm. She simply pulled the saw back and let go, and it was launched towards an object before coming back to her via magnets. The disk sliced through a bundle of electrical wires on the ceiling and a shower of spark fell from the sky. The glowing dots fell onto the guards, confusing them greatly. Squall then unsheathed his gunblade and opened fire. When the dust settled, seven human lives had ended in a few short seconds. 

"That was fun." Zell remarked.

Rinoa pushed him aside jokingly as Squall walked up to the prison cell control panel. Zell walked up and returned the power back to the building, while Squall searched through the database to find where Irvine was being kept. After a while, he discovered that he was on the execution row, on the top floor. Squall recruited the rest of the party and got into the elevator the third floor.

Meanwhile, down on the bottom floor, the Estharian troops were outraged. Their own citadel of safety and protection for the president of the city had been invaded by three people.

"Kill those SeeD bastards!" Captain Golger shouted.

"They're probably after the man we've arrested for Deling's murder, sir!" Sargeant Heyner said.

"Troops! Report to the top floor and secure Sector 80 and the prisoner Irvine Kinneas" Golger commanded. 

The garrison of troops marched into the the elevators to separate parts of the top floor. Squall, Zell, and Rinoa knew of their oncoming presence and hurried towards their destination. 

"This should be it, Squall." Zell said while in front of the entry door to the prison floor.

"Open it, Zell." Squall replied.

Zell pushed the button to open the door, but it didn't open. He pushed it again and again, but it still didn't open. He then punched it a few times, but to no avail, it didn't work. Squall suddenly thought of an idea.

The group of six soldiers quickly pursued the party. Captain Golger marched throughout the hallways of the building with the intent to murder in cold blood three people. As he rounded the corner, he was grabbed by a gloved hand. He looked and saw that he was being held by Squall, and a gunblade was positioned directly across his throat.

The soldiers learned of Squall's whereabouts and quickly marched to their location. There, they found Squall with Captain Golger held hostage in front of the door to the prison floor. The soldiers instantly raised their lasers and were about to open fire when Captain Golger yelled,

"No! Don't shoot, you imbeciles!"

The soldiers lowered their weapons and stood there dumbfounded as to what to do.

"You know, Mr. SeeD-Man, there's more soldiers coming from the other side of this door, and they're gonna come out and kill you like a pill kills diarrhea."

Squall laughed and said, "I know they are, that's the point."

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard from the other side of the massive steel door. Squall could hear the buttons being pressed to open the door. Squall then handed Captain Golger to Zell and he took out his Hero's Medicine. He quickly ingested the remedy and stood in front the door. As a warning for the soldiers not to fire, he pointed his gunblade towards Golger. Just then, the door opened. The soldiers on the other side, completely oblivious to what was going on, instantly opened fire. The laser fire shot through the door way and hit the other soldiers. The lasers which hit Squall simply died away and caused no damage. When the medicine wore off, he retreated behind a wall near the door and started to fire at the soldiers. He was now seperated from his companions, and didn't know what to do. Three soldiers were now left from the barrage of Squall and Rinoa's gunfire, and Captain Golger was still being held with Zell. 

"Zell! Let the captain-guy go!" Squall commanded.

The soldiers failed to hear Squall's instruction due to their own laser fire, but Zell heard him and knew what to do. He quickly released the captain and let him go in the midst of the laser fire. As soon as the soldiers saw the captain, they stopped firing. It was at this instant Squall and Rinoa came out and retaliated. 

Ten soldiers lay dead, and Captain Golger was standing in the midst of their corpses. 


	4. Rescuing Irvine

"You! You killed my men!"

"Sorry about that, 'sir', I'll try to kill more later." Squall winked at him and began to walk away.

Captain Golger unsheathed his combat knife and charged at Squall. The leader of the SeeDs effortlessly turned around and impaled the captain on his gunblade. A frail moan was emitted from his mouth, and he then dropped to the floor, dead.

Squall kicked the corpse off of his sword and with the rest of the party, walked away to find Irvine.

Inside the ill-lit room, with the musty smell of soldiers who had been on patrol for seven days straight, sat the flabbergasted managers of the Esthar Presidential Palace. 

"How did they do that!?" one asked.

"You can't let them get to Kinneas. If they release him, Galbadia will figure us out!"

Many more soldiers marched through the caliginous corridors of the prison, searching for the elusive clan who had caused all of this destruction.

"You search that hall, I'll go this way." One of the officers said to his partner.

The two men scurried off through the prison floor. The single troop marched through the passage with caution, knowing that at any second, he could be slain by one of the SeeDs. As he walked through the path, he suddenly saw a faint flicker of light around a corner. He slowly walked towards the light, with his weapon raised and ready to fire. Suddenly, a hand reached out from the darkness and grabbed the soldier around his throat.

"No! Please, Pleease, don't ki—"

But his words were cut off as the long dagger of a gunblade pierced through his back. He looked with amazed eyes at the bloody blade which he knew had caused his death. He slowly tried to turn around to see the face of his murderer, but he found he could not. For the gunblade had been pulled out of his body and then shoved through his neck. He slowly dropped to the floor and lay on the ground, watching his own blood dribble across the linoleum, signaling his oncoming fate.

Squall wiped the blood off of his weapon on the guard's carcass, then proceeded on with his companions to locate their friend, Irvine.

The commander's eyes stared blankly at the screen. On it he saw one of his own soldiers ruthlessly killed by the elusive SeeD. He watched as he begged for his, only to be taken away grimly by the man. 

"Somebody please kill these SeeDs…" he said quietly.

"Don't worry, sir. I promise I'll kill them." Lieutenant Margle replied.

Squall, Zell, and Rinoa strode through the hallways, searching for the cell containing their friend, Irvine. They had passed by various chambers which held not Irvine, but some of the most homicidal people known to the planet. They ignored each one, until they found the sector in which Irvine was kept.

  
"Okay, the guards will probably already be here, so we have to be careful." Squall noted.

The other SeeDs quietly walked through the corridors, making sure no soldiers were sneaking around anywhere. When they finally did find Irvine's cell block, they met heavy opposition. Surrounding the entire zone were fifteen guards, each in heavy anticipation of fighting. Squall and his comrades quickly hid behind a cell panel before they were spotted, and quickly began to contemplate how to get Irvine. 

"Oh screw this, I'm just gonna kill 'em all." Squall said.

He quickly showed himself from behind the panel and began to open fire. He managed to kill four soldiers which six well-placed shots to their heads, but managed to kill no more. 

"Dammit, I have to reload." Squall said amidst the heavy laser-fire.

He quickly loaded six bullets into his gunblade, while Rinoa tried her hand at combating the enemies with her pinwheel. She managed to kill two of them with her pinwheel, but was quickly forced into submission by their heavy laser beam bombardment. 

"Squall! We can't kill them all! We have to leave!" Zell screamed to Squall.

"No! We have to save Irvine!" Squall replied.

  
"So what if he gets killed, at least it will stop another war from starting!" Zell snapped.

"We can't let them kill an innocent person! Don't you understand!?"

Squall finished with reloading his weapon and began firing once more at the soldiers. This time managed to pick off three soldiers with four shots, before being compelled into submission. 

"Only six left to kill!" Squall shouted.

Zell examined the area, looking for same way to get an advantage. He suddenly got an idea. He reached to a cell block panel near him and pushed the button to open all the cells. When the doors opened, the opposing soldiers were surpised and looked towards the cells. It was at this moment Squall and Zell opened fire. Bullets and laser beams shot every which way, bodies fell and blood flew. And when it was over, six soldiers lay dead, two prisoners were deceased, and Squall was left with a laser-shot to his forearm. Irvine suddenly appeared from beneath the gun smoke and ran towards his comrades. 

"Where were you!?" he yelled. 

Squall, Zell, Irvine, and Rinoa all hopped aboard the elevator and reached the roof. The brightly-lit Presidential Monument which towered above the city glimmered like a beacon of hope on a mountain of death. Squall scanned the skies and then saw his target; a SeeD recovery ship. He quickly fired one of the flares he had and it launched into the air, alerting the ship to their presence. The ship's trajectory moved towards the palace and Squall and others quickly got aboard. Various shots from lasers came close to hitting the ship, but all managed to miss. 

"Whew, I thought I was gonna die in there. It's creepy being with all those wackos." Irvine said.

Squall glanced at him briefly to see his current medical status, and then quickly dozed off. It was then that he saw her again in his dreams.


End file.
